Early studies Stern's vocal training began at age 14 in New York City with Eduardo Battente, a tenor graduate of the
Naples Conservatory. Stern learned the roles of The Duke in Rigoletto; Nemorino in
Don Pasquale and Edgardo in
Lucia di Lammermoor. Stern attended the
High School of Music and Art, now known as
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. During his years there, he performed regularly as a super (non-singing extra) at the
Metropolitan Opera. At 18, Stern performed the leading role of Mr. Scratch (The Devil) in the High School of Music and Art's production of
The Devil and Daniel Webster at
Hunter College's Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse, with composer
Douglas Moore attending. Moore expressed his astonishment that such a young singer could interpret the role so powerfully. Stern received the Voice Award upon graduating. While at Eastman School of Music in Rochester NY Stern married fellow vocal student Barbara Cagnazzo, an aspiring soul singer. He lived with his young wife's Cagnazzo family for 5 years in East Rochester before moving to NYC. During and after the
Korean War, when he was drafted into the U.S. Army and stationed in Germany, On returning to the U.S., he continued his studies at the
Eastman School of Music During his 5 years in Rochester, NY Stern became a father to 2 of his 4 children. He received the McCurdy Scholarship for Juniors. He also won the "You Can Be a Star Series" Contest sponsored by
WHAM-TV in Rochester, whose prize was an automobile, a screen test in Hollywood, and the opportunity to meet celebrity personalities
Jack Benny,
Jimmy Durante and
Betty White. Stern's parents were European emigrants of varied ethnicity. He speaks five languages.
New York City Opera Stern received a scholarship from the
Henry Street Settlement to study with the Metropolitan Opera soprano
Rose Bampton and her husband, conductor
Wilfrid Pelletier. Stern performed the role of Spoleta in an
NBC production of
Puccini's
Tosca with Pelletier conducting. An audition for the
New York City Opera, arranged by Bampton, began Stern's operatic career. Among the many roles he sang at New York City Opera were Porcus in
Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher by
Arthur Honegger; Don Basilio in
The Marriage of Figaro and Tanchum the Madman in the world premiere of
The Golem, by
Abraham Ellstein. In the role of Tanchum Miles Kastendieck of the
New York Journal-American noted "Maurice Stern's madman topped all the characterizations, for he acts and sings with complete conviction."
Paul Henry Lang of
New York Herald Tribune wrote, "Maurice Stern acted and sang the role of the madman with convincing force."
Winthrop Sargeant of
The New Yorker stated, "Maurice Stern, as a ghetto madman, made outstanding contributions …with his exceptional abilities as an actor." Stern sang the role of Giles Corey in the world premiere of
The Crucible (opera) by
Robert Ward at the New York City Opera, and also in its first recording.
Irving Kolodin noted in
The Saturday Review that "Maurice Stern was a striking Giles Corey". Stern performed regularly with the company through 1963 and later returned as guest in the roles of Robespierre in the American premieres of ''
Danton's Death by Gottfried von Einem and The Inspector General
by Werner Egk. He also appeared as the Shepherd in Oedipus Rex by Igor Stravinsky. Further roles in Douglas Moore operas included: An Old Silver Miner in The Ballad of Baby Doe; The Lecturer at the National Gallery in the world premiere of The Wings of the Dove at the New York City Opera, and a repeat performance of Mr. Scratch in The Devil and Daniel Webster'' at Kansas City Lyric Theater. Stern appeared as Captain James Lee in the world premiere of
Deseret, an opera by
Leonard Kastle based on an episode in the life of the Mormon prophet Brigham Young. Both the world premiere with the
Memphis Opera Theatre and later performances with the Pasadana Opera Company were conducted by
Anton Coppola and directed by Leonard Kastle. As character tenor, Stern performed the roles of The Steersman in
Der Fliegende Hollander with
Birgit Nilsson and
Ramon Vinay at the
Pittsburgh Opera, directed by
Tito Capobianco; Gaston in
La Traviata with
Joan Sutherland at
Philadelphia Lyric Opera; Remendado in
Carmen with
Jon Vickers at Philadelphia Lyric Opera; Tybalt in
Roméo et Juliette with
Franco Corelli at Philadelphia Lyric Opera; and Trin in
La Fanciulla del West with Franco Corelli at Philadelphia Lyric Opera with
Anton Guadagno conducting. It was at this time that Maestro Guadagno suggested that Stern change his professional operatic name to "Mauro Lampi." Under his newly adopted stage name Stern performed the role of Rustighello at the debut of
Montserrat Caballé in
Donizetti's
Lucrezia Borgia at
Carnegie Hall. When Caballé appeared again at Carnegie Hall later that year in Donizetti's
Roberto Devereux, Stern performed the role of Lord Cecil. Both performances at Carnegie Hall were commercially recorded. In 1962 Stern was a recipient of the
Ford Foundation Grant for Opera Singers. He began singing leading tenor roles nationally in opera houses around the United States, such as Rodolfo in
La Boheme with
The Syracuse Opera Company and with Arlington Opera, Roméo in
Roméo et Juliette with
Seattle Opera; Don Ottavio in
Don Giovanni with
Dayton Opera and
Toledo Opera; Pinkerton in
Madama Butterfly with
Connecticut Opera, The Duke in
Rigoletto with Hartford Opera, the title role in
Faust with
Connecticut Opera, and Gabriel von Eisenstein in
Die Fledermaus with
Dayton Opera, Columbus Opera and the
Opera Guild of Greater Miami.
Europe Stern's second career in Europe began when he was engaged as leading tenor in Städtische Bühnen Flensburg from 1969 to 1971. His second wife Rita Loving and his three children moved with him from New York City to Flensburg, Germany. There, he sang the title roles in
Lohengrin and
Andrea Chenier, Cavaradossi in
Tosca, Radames in
Aida, The Duke in
Rigoletto and Belmonte in
Die Entführung aus dem Serail. This was followed by an engagement at the
Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden where he sang Pinkerton in
Madama Butterfly, Rodolfo in
La Boheme, Don José in
Carmen, Alfredo in
La Traviata, the title role in
Xerxes (Serse), Barinkay in
Der Zigeunerbaron, Hans in
The Bartered Bride, Belmonte in
Die Entführung aus dem Serail, The Singer in
Der Rosenkavalier and Rinuccio in
Gianni Schicchi. During this time he made guest appearances at the
Oper Frankfurt as Rodolfo in
La Boheme; at
Stadttheater Klagenfurt as Hans in
The Bartered Bride; at the
Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe as Pinkerton in
Madama Butterfly and The Duke in
Rigoletto; and at Theater der Stadt Koblenz as Cavaradossi in
Tosca.
Voice professor at the University of Washington In 1973, Stern joined the Voice Faculty at the
University of Washington in Seattle, where he met his future third wife, Molly Hogan, then a student pianist at the university. He gave many solo concert performances at the university and appeared as tenor soloist in
Handel's
Messiah with the
Detroit Symphony under
Paul Freeman, the
Verdi Requiem with the
Honolulu Symphony under Robert LaMarchina, and in numerous concerts with the University Symphony Orchestra under
Samuel Krachmalnick. He appeared as Manrico in
Il Trovatore at the Nevada Opera and in the title role of
Andrea Chenier at the
Houston Grand Opera, indicating that his voice was leaning toward a dramatic tenor.
International career Dramatic tenor roles In 1979 Stern moved back to Europe using his earlier stage name, Mauro Lampi, to sing the role of Calaf in
Turandot and the title role of
Tannhäuser at the
Landestheater Linz in Linz, Austria. The next season, as Maurice Stern, he became a member of the
Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf, Germany (
Opernhaus Düsseldorf) where he premiered the title role of
Otello in a new production under the baton of Maestro
Alberto Erede. He also performed the role in
Theater Duisburg. The Neue Ruhr Zeitung Duisburg noted that "Maurice Stern gives OTELLO greatness and stature, in combination with excitement and expressive singability of his dark-toned tenor voice". Otello became a staple of Stern's repertoire. He also performed it in the German theaters of
Musiktheater im Revier,
Theater Lübeck and
Theater Augsburg. Stern appeared in a production of
Otello in Montréal. He sang "Dio, mi potevi scagliar," which resulted in
L'Ôpèra de Montréal engaging Stern to sing seven performances of
Otello in a televised production with
Alfredo Silipigni conducting and
Antoine Vitez directing. Stern was called upon to sing
Otello at The
Kentucky Opera, replacing
James King who withdrew because of illness. Sir
Alexander Gibson conducted the performances. The critical response to Stern's portrayal of
Otello was enthusiastic: "He managed Otello's progress through jealousy to the edge of madness movingly, and his entire performance was heightened by his eager attention to every possibility for emotional nuance." Additional roles that Stern performed at the
Deutsche Oper am Rhein included: Don Alvaro in
La Forza del Destino, Canio in
Pagliacci, Porcus in ''
Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher by Arthur Honegger and Alfred in Die Fledermaus'' under the stage direction of
Otto Schenk. Stern sang the role of Canio at the
Frankfurt Opera in Germany and in Belgium at
De Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp, which then toured the production to Ghent and Brugges. In America, he portrayed Canio at the
Michigan Opera Theatre opposite the Nedda of
Diana Soviero, again with the
Dayton Opera, National Grand Opera, Brevard Festival and in Charleston, West Virginia. Stern's repertoire included Radames in
Aida, which he performed in several productions of the
Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin opposite
Anna Tomowa-Sintow as Aida; at
De Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp, Belgium opposite Livia Budai as Amneris; followed by performances at the
Norwegian National Opera, with
Giancarlo del Monaco directing. Other engagements with Stern as Radames followed at the
Austin Lyric Opera,
Taipei National Opera; Opera/Columbus and the Miami Greater Opera Association with the Aida of
Alessandra Marc. Stern appeared as Calaf in
Turandot opposite Olivia Stapp as Turandot at the Teatro de la Opera, San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 1985 he sang the role of Dick Johnson in
Puccini's
La Fanciulla del West at
Gian Carlo Menotti's
Festival dei Due Mondi in Charleston, South Carolina. The opera was directed by
Bruce Beresford. The production was then taken to Spoleto, Italy and the premiere was televised by Radiotelevisione Italiana (
RAI). He later performed the role of Dick Johnson at Opera/Columbus opposite
Carol Neblett as Minnie. Stern sang Samson in
Samson et Dalila at the
Utah Opera in Salt Lake City. He was later engaged by the
Metropolitan Opera as a cover for
Plácido Domingo for the role of Samson in the Metropolitan's new production of
Samson et Dalila. Other roles Stern performed were Manrico in
Il Trovatore at the
Teatro Teresa Carreño in Caracas, Venezuela which was broadcast for television; the same role at the
Austin Lyric Opera; Don José in
Carmen in Mexico City, Querétaro and Toluca with
Enrique Batiz conducting; Turrídu in
Cavalleria Rusticana in Reykjavík, Iceland; Cavaradossi in
Tosca in Winterthur, Switzerland and in the French cities of Perpignan and Sète; and Gabriel von Eisenstein in
Die Fledermaus in the Italian cities of Bolzano, Trieste, Bregenz, and Riva del Garda. In 1991, Stern returned to Seattle to sing Bacchus in a production of
Ariadne auf Naxos at the
Seattle Opera with
Hermann Michael conducting.
Sculptor and graphic artist On the long bus tours around the country with New York City Opera, Stern started sculpting busts of fellow singers. Gradually, his repertoire expanded to include other personalities, such as the former director of New York City Opera,
John Simon White, and conductor Felix Popper. Between his graduation from Eastman School of Music and after divorcing his first wife Stern's roommates were
Dustin Hoffman and
Robert Duvall. Stern sculpted portraits of both. Hoffman's sculpture was displayed at the opening of
The Graduate and also featured in
Life magazine. Stern sculpted continuously and prolifically throughout his career as an opera singer. He sculpted family and friends. His sculpting provided the Stern family with a second income, as Stern was commissioned for portrait work in Flensburg, Germany. Stern has received awards both for his portrait sculptures and his works on paper. He is a member of Audubon Artists, Allied Artists of America, The
American Artists Professional League, The
National Sculpture Society, and his work has been featured in "The Signature" magazine of The American Society of Portrait Artists. He has presented one-man shows at the Cornish Gallery in Seattle; in Germany at the Flensburger Stadtstheater in Flensburg and at the Atelier Moering in Wiesbaden. ==References==